Toy cap gun with tape drum for hammer actuation



June 26, 1962 c. 5. (:00K ETAL 3,040,461

TOY CAP GUN WITH TAPE DRUM FOR HAMMER ACTUATION Filed April 8, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Caivfn 6. Cook Mqhlon E. Hirsch Raymond J'- 'Lohr Chqnolier D. Rees ATTORNEY 5 June 26, 1962 c. s. COOK ETAL 3,040,461

TQY CAP GUN WITH TAPE DRUM FOR HAMMER ACTUATION 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 8, 1960 INVENTORS Cook Hirsch ymond I Lohr an Calvin 5. Mahkm E. Ea

Ch dler D. Rces ATTORNEYS June 26, 1962 c. s. COOK ETAL 3,040,461

TOY CAP GUN WITH TAPE DRUM FOR HAMMER ACTUATION Filed April 8, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS Calvin 3. Cook Mahlon E. Hirsch Raymond I Lohr Chandier D. Qees T i B BY M ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,040,461 TOY CAP GUN WITH TAPE DRUM FOR HAMMER ACTUATION Calvin S. Cook, Erie, Mahz'on E. Hirsch, Fairview, Raymond J. Lohr, and Chandler D. Rees, Erie, Pa., assignors to Louis Marx & Company, Inc., New York, N .Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 21,029 16 Claims. (Cl. 42--57) This invention relates to toy guns, and more particularly to a rapid fire repeating gun which requires no motor of conventional type.

The primary object of the present invention is to generally improve toy guns which fire repeatedly. Usually such guns have a motor, such as a spring motor which must be wound, or an electric motor requiring battery cells. Some of these guns fire a cap strip, and for that purpose the motor has had to be fairly large and rugged because of the power needed to actuate the hammer and cap feed mechanism,

One object of the present invention is to overcome the foregoing difficulty, and to provide a cap firing gun which may be made small in size, relatively inexpensive, and which appears to be motor operated, yet does not require a conventional motor.

To accomplish the foregoing general objects, and other more specific objects which will hereinafter appear, our invention resides in the toy gun elements and their relation to one another, as are more particularly described in the following specification. The specification is accompanied by drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the mechanism for a gun embodying features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the exterior of the gun but with the fore grip and stock separated;

FIG. 3 is a perspective -vicw showing the gun in operatron;

FIG. 4 shows a modified gun body, and illustrates how the gun may be automatically fired when drawn from a holster;

FIGS. 5 and 6 and 6A show still another modified gun body, and illustrate how the gun may be pivoted on and fired from a belt;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing another form of gun embodying features of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation thereof;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view with one-half the gun body removed to expose the mechanism; and

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a modification.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to FIG. 3, the gun there shown simulates a portable hand-held machine gun, sometimes referred to as a burp gun, or tommygun, or clip automatic. However, in this toy the gun body is quite small in dimension, say less than six inches long, and is held in one hand as shown in FIG. 3. The other hand is used to pull a strap, cord, chain, or other lanyard 12, hereinafter referred generically as a pull tape. The pull of the tape drives a firing mechanism of the gun, which in this case is a cap gun. The roll of caps is loaded in a cap magazine by turning up a magazine cover 14 at the top of the gun body 16. The gun body has a barrel 18', a foregrip 20, and a stock 22. The spent cap strip is shown leaving the gun at 24. To facilitate pulling the tape 12 its free end is preferably provided witha finger ring 26.

The mechanism inside the gun is shown in FIG. 1, and referring to that figure the noise making means comprises rotatable shafts 28, 30 and 32, and gearing 34, 36, 38 and 40. A hammer 42 is reciprocated by the gearing, and more specifically by a cam 44 mounted on the shaft and bearing against a part at 46 on the hammer arm, which part acts as a cam follower. The hammer rocks on a support shaft or trunnion shaft 48, and is normally raised forcibly by a hammer spring '50, only one end of which is visible in FIG. 1. However a similar spring is shown in FIG. 9. The end 50 (FIG. 1) bears upwardly beneath the hammer while the remainder of the spring is coiled about the trunnion shaft 48 and then extends in opposite direction to bear against a part of the frame, with the re suit that the hammer spring urges the. hammer forcibly against the anvil.

A tape drum 52 is rotatable on a shaft 54, and the inner end of the tape 12 is secured to the drum 52 and is wound thereabout. The free end of the tape outside the gun body is secured at 54 to the ring 26, and when the tape 12 is pulled, it turns the drum 52' and so actuates the gearing andthe mechanism of the gun.

Although not essential, as will later appear, a rewind spring 56 preferably is used and is secured to the tape drum 52 for rewinding the tape after it has been 'pulled out. When this is done a suitable one-Way clutch preferably is provided in the gearing, so that the gun is not operated during rewinding of the tape. This may take the form of a ratchet between the drum 52 and the gear 34, but in the present case the one-way drive uses a so-called floating idler, which is commonly employed in toys. Specifically, the intermediate or idler gear 36 is mounted on a shaft 28, the bearings of which are slotted to permit movement of the shaft. 28 in a direction transverse to a plane passing through the shafts 54 and 30. In the present case the floating shaft 28 may move up and down, and one of the slotted bearings is shown at 58. The other one at the nearer end of the shaft 28 has been omitted from the drawing.

When the tape 12 is pulled the direction of rotation of the gears is as indicated by the arrows, and it will be seen that gear 34 moves gear 36 downward or into meshing or driving relation. However, when the tape is being rewound, the direction of rotation of gear 34 is opposite to that of the arrow, and this moves the gear 36 upward or out of mesh. In this way the mechanism beyond shaft 28 is freed and unaffected during rewind of the tape, but is positively driven when the tape is pulled.

The hammer 42 might strike a diaphragm to produce noise without the use of caps, but in the present preferred form the gun shoots caps. For this purpose a cap strip or roll 60 is housed in a suitable magazine. More specifically, the roll is slipped over a support stud or shaft 62, which projects sidewardly from one side wall of the gun, and which is exposed when the magazine cover 14 is opened. The cover preferably has a side wall 64 (FIGS. 2 and 3), and is pivoted at 66 (FIG. 1). When the cover 14 is turned upward the support shaft 62 is exposed, and readily receives a fresh roll of caps.

The cap feed mechanism and the anvil are preferably combined, and for this purpose the anvil 70 may be made cylindrical. It works with a cap strip having uniformly spaced sprocket holes between the caps, and for this purpose the anvil 70 is provided with pins: or sprocket teeth 72 which are at proper spacing to mate with the sprocket holes in the capstrip. The cap strip extends over the drum, and then downwardly and reversely beneath the drum, with the spent strip leaving at 24. In the present mechanism the hammer 42 strikes a fresh cap between sprocket teeth at the bottom of the anvil. The spent strip is guided away from the anvil by means of a suitable stripper spring 74, the fixed end of which may be supported and urged upward by a cross-rod 76, and the free end of which bears resiliently against the anvil at a point beyond the end of the hammer 42, thereby clearing the anvil of the spent cap strip, which otherwise may tend to adhere to the anvil. The free end of the stripper is notched or slotted to clear the sprocket pins 72, so that it can scrape the surface of the anvil The gearing includes means to turn the cylindrical anvil 70 intermittently, it preferably being stationary at the time the hammer 42 is abruptly released by the cam 44 to strike a cap on the anvil. In the present case the mechanism used for this purpose is the well known Geneva mechanism. This comprises a Geneva pinion shown at 80, meshing with at Geneva gear 40. Geneva gearing is well known and requires no detailed description, but the parts here used are better shown in FIG. 9, although that figure shows a somewhat different gun.

In FIG. 9 the cylindrical anvil 82 is formed integrally with or is secured to 2. Geneva gear 84. An integral die casting is preferred. The Geneva pinion has an arcuate portion 86 and an operating pin or tooth 88. The latter turning counterclockwise enters the slot 90 of gear 84, and turns it to the position 92, at which time the finger 88 leaves the Geneva gear. The latter then is held against rotation by the curved surface 86 which bears against the mating curved surface on the periphery of the Geneva gear between the slots 90 and 92. Thus, the Geneva gear is turned intermittently, and is locked against rotation between its increments of rotation. It is during this period, while the anvil is stationary, that the cam follower 94 of the hammer 96 is reached by the end of the lobe 98 of the cam 100, whereupon the hammer spring 102 forcibly drives the hammer upward against the cylindrical anvil 82 between two of the feed pins. This is as it should be because the cap or powder charge of the cap strip is located midway between its sprocket holes.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the fore grip 20 may be molded out of a plastics material, and is secured to a mating metal support or bracket 104 which is formed integrally with the metal side frames of the mechanism.

When slid into place it is held by a screw or rivet passing through the grip at 106. v

The stock 22 similarly is molded out of a plastics material, and is supported by a metal tape guide arm 108 extending rearwardly from the frame of the mechanism. This arm 108 supports the tape 12 and acts also to close the open bottom of the stock 22.

In FIG. 1 it will be noted that the magazine cover 14 has a grooved projection 110. This acts as a guide or shoe to hold the cap strip on the anvil. The sprocket pins are received in the groove.

In FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 the gun body simulates a small machine gun, but it will be understood that the same mechanism may be mounted in a gun body which simulates an automatic pistol or a revolver Or other such gun. FIGS. 7-9 show the mechanism applied to a simulated automatic pistol, and they also show a modified mechanism which has been simplified by eliminating the pull tape return spring, and the ratchet. However, such a spring and ratchet could be added to the mechanism shown in FIGS. 7-9.

Referring to those figures, the gun again comprises a 'gun body generally designated 112, which houses noise making means including rotatable shafts and gearing and a reciprocable hammer 96. A pull tape, in this case a cord 114, is secured .to a drum 116. The drum is exposed at the side of the gun body 112, and may be manually rewound by revolving the cord around the stationary drum. This method of rewinding eliminates the need for a return spring and ratchet, and thereby simplifies the mechanism for use in a cheaper gun.

Referring to FIG. 9, the drum 116 is secured directly on a shaft 118 which carries the hammer actuating cam 100 and the Geneva pinion 86 previously described. The latter meshes with Geneva gear 84 carried on shaft 120. In practice the pinion 86 and cam 100 may be die-cast integrally, just as the Geneva gear may be die-cast integrally with the cylindrical anvil 82. The shafts also may be integral with said parts.

The hammer 96 may be die-cast integrally with the hammer arm and the cam follower 94 and the trunnions 122. The hammer spring 102 has one end 124 bearing against a cross-pin or rivet 126 while its other end 128 is hooked around and bears upwardly against the bottom of the hammer.

The cap roll 130 is slid over a support pin 132, and the caps then pass almost completely around the anvil 82. The spent cap strip leaves the gun through a window 134 at the bottom of the handgrip 136, as shown at 138. Access to the cap magazine is obtained by turning a cover (FIG. 7) upward about a pivot 142. As before, the cap cover 140 (FIG. 7) preferably includes a curved shoe 144 which mates with the anvil and which serves to hold a cap strip on the anvil. This may be slotted at 145 to clear the sprocket pins. The cover and shoe are not separately shown in FIG. 9, be cause that figure of the drawing is directed primarily to the mechanism. The pull cord 114 shown in FIG. 7 has been omitted in FIGS. 8 and 9, in order to simplify the drawing.

FIGS. 7 and 9 show the tape drum projecting substantially from the side of the gun. However, in practice the tape drum may be quite flat and nests closely against the side of the gun, and indeed, it may be partially recessed into the side of the gun, it being necessary only that its outermost edge project away from the gun enough to readily receive the pull cord. This modification is shown in FIG. 10, in which half the tape drum 116' is recessed into the side of the gun 1.12.

Our new type of toy gun has additional advantages some of which are next described. Referring to FIG. 4, the gun body there is in the form of a Western pistol or revolver 140. The pull tape is shown at 142, and its ring 144 is anchored in a snap hook 146 forming part of a holster belt 148 carrying a holster 150. The operation will be clear from inspection of the drawing, for when the pistol is drawn the pull tape 142 is automatically pulled from the gun, so that the gun simulatedly fires repeatedly as the gun is being drawn.

The tape-operated cap-firing mechanism shown in FIG. 1 may be housed in guns of ditferent configuration. It is evident from inspection of FIG. 1 that the tape 12 could be pulled downward from drum 52 instead of rearward. Such a modified layout may be used in a small, pistolshaped body of the type illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, and one possible gearing layout is shown in FIG. 6A. The shafts and gears correspond to the similarly numbered parts shown in FIG. 1, except that in FIG. 6A the numbers have been primed. The only significant difference, apart from the shape of the gun body, and a slope of the gear train, is the downward instead of rearward direction in which the tape is pulled.

Another method of operating the gun is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the appeal of which is in deceptively firing a gun from the hip without having to draw the gun. For this purpose the gun 152 is pivotally and relatively permanently mounted on a belt 154. The gun normally points downward as shown in FIG. 5. This result is obtained either by appropriate location of the pivot so that the gun points downward gravitationally, or by the use of a light spring at the pivot. The pull tape comes out of the bottom of the handle or grip of the gun as shown at 156.

The part secured to belt 154 is a stationary motion limiting stop which limits the rotation of the gun 152 to about 90, that is, from the downwardly pointing position of FIG. 5, to the firing position of FIG. 6. The stop is shaped to bear against the bottom of the gun when the gun is in horizontal position as shown in FIG. 6.

With this arrangement, by simply pulling the ring of the pull tape downward, as shown by the change from FIG. 5 to FIG. 6, the gun is turned up to the firing position shown in FIG. 6, and the pull tape is drawn from the gun, and the gun repeatedly fired, all in an instant.

It is believed that the construction and operation of our improved toy gun, as well as the advantages thereof, will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description. It will also be apparent that while we have shown and described our invention in several preferred forms, changes may be made in the structures shown, without departing from the scope of the invention as sought to be defined in the following claims. In the claims, the term tape is intended to include a strap, a cord, a chain or the like.

We claim:

1. A toy gun having a gun body housing a noise making means comprising rotatable shafts and gearing, and a hammer reciprocated by said gearing, a tape drum forming a part of said gearing, a tape having one end secured thereto and said tape being wound thereabout, and the free end of said tape being disposed outside the gun body, whereby pulling the free end of the tape turns the drum and actuates the hammer repeatedly, said tape and drum constituting the sole means for actuating the hammer.

2. A toy gun having a gun body housing a noise making means comprising rotatable shafts and gearing, and a hammer reciprocated by said gearing, a tape drum forming a part of said gearing, a tape secured thereto and wound thereabout, the free end of said tape being disposed outside the gun body, whereby pulling the tape turns the drum and actuates the hammer, a re-wind spring secured to said tape drum for rewinding the tape after it has been pulled, and a one way clutch in said gearing whereby the gun is not operated during rewinding of the tape.

3. A toy gun having a gun body housing a noise mak ing means comprising rotatable shafts and gearing, and a hammer reciprocated by said gearing, a tape drum forming a part of said gearing, a tape secured thereto and wound thereabout, the free end of said tape being disposed outside the gun body, whereby pulling the tape turns the drum and actuates the hammer, said noise making means including a cap magazine, a cap feed device, and means in said gearing for moving said device to bring a new cap beneath the hammer.

4. A toy gun having a gun body housing a noise making means. comprising rotatable shafts and gearing, and a hammer reciprocated by said gearing, a tape drum forming a part of said gearing, a tape secured thereto and wound thereabout, the free end of said tape being disposed outside the gun body, whereby pulling the tape turns the drimi and actuates the hammer, a re-wind spring secured to said tape drum for rewinding the tape after it has been pulled, a one way clutch in said gearing whereby the gun is not operated during rewinding of the tape, said noise making means including a cap magazine, a cap feed device, and means in said gearing for moving said device to bring a new cap beneath the hammer.

5. A toy gun having a gun body housing a noise making means comprising rotatable shafts and gearing, and a hammer reciprocated by said gearing, a tape drum forming a part of said gearing, a tape secured thereto and wound thereabout, the free end of said tape being disposed outside the gun body, whereby pulling the tape turns the drum and actuates the hammer, said noise making means including a cap strip magazine, a cylindrical anvil having sprocket teeth for engaging perforationsin the cap strip, and means in said gearing for turning said anvil intermittently to bring a new cap beneath the hammer.

6. A toy gun having a gun body housing a noise making means comprising rotatable shafts and gearing, and a hammer reciprocated by said gearing, a tape drum forming a part of said gearing, a tape secured thereto and wound thereabout, the free end of said tape being disposed outside the gun body, whereby pulling the tape turns the drum and actuates the hammer, a re-wind spring secured to said-tape drum for rewinding the tape after it has been pulled, a one way clutch in said gearing where- U by the gun is not operated during rewinding of the tape, said noise making means including a cap strip magazine, a cylindrical anvil having sprocket teeth for engaging perforations in the cap strip, and means in said gearing for turning said anvil intermittently to bring a new cap be neath the hammer.

7. A toy gun having a gun body housing a noise making means comprising rotatable shafts and gearing, and a hammer reciprocated by said gearing, a tape drum forming a part of said gearing, a tape secured thereto and wound thereabout, the free end of said tape being disposed outside the gun body, whereby pulling the tape turns the drum and actuates the hammer, said noise making means including a cap strip magazine, a cylindrical anvil having sprocket teeth for engaging perforations in the cap strip, and Geneva mechanism in said gearing for turning said anvil intermittently to bring a new cap beneath the hammer.

8. A toy gun having a gun body housing a noise making means comprising rotatable shafts, and gearing, and a hammer reciprocated by said gearing, a tape drum forming a part of said gearing, a tape secured thereto and wound thereabout, the free end of said tape being disposed outside the gun body, whereby pulling the tape turns the drum and actuates the hammer, a re-wind spring secured to said tape drum for rewinding the tape after it has been'pulled, a one way clutch in said gearing whereby the gun is not operated during rewinding of the tape, said noise making means including a cap strip magazine, a cylindrical anvil having sprocket teeth for engaging perforations in the cap strip, and Geneva mechanism in said gearing for turning said anvil intermittently to bring a new cap beneath the hammer.

9. In combination, a toy gun as defined in claim 4, a holster belt, a holster carried by said belt for receiving said gun, and means securing the outer end of the pull tape of the gun to said belt, whereby the gun when drawn from the holster is automatically fired.

10. In combination, a toy gun as defined in claim 6, a holster belt, a holster carried by said belt for receiving said gun, and means securing the outer end of the pull tape of the gun to said belt, whereby the gun when drawn from the holster is automatically fired.

11. In combination, a toy gun as defined in claim 8, a holster belt, a holster carried by said belt for receiving said gun, and means securing the outer end of the pull tape of the gun to said belt, whereby the gun when drawn from the holster is automatically fired.

12. In combination, a toy gun as described in claim 4, in which the gun body simulates a pistol having a grip and the tape leaves the pistol grip downwardly, a belt, means so pivoting the gun on the belt that the gun nor mally turns muzzle down, and a stop on the belt in the path of a part of the gun to limit the turning of the gun to about with muzzle then pointing forward, whereby a pull on the tape turns the gun to forward position and fires it.

13. In combination, a toy gun as described in claim 6, in which the gun body simulates a pistol having a grip and the tape leaves the pistol grip downwardly, a belt, means so pivoting the gun on the belt that the gun normally turns muzzle down, and a stop on the belt in the path of a part of the gun to limit the turning of the gun to about 90 with muzzle then pointing forward, whereby a pull on the tape turns the gun to forward position and fires it.

14. In combination, a toy gun as described in claim 8, in which the gun body simulates a pistol having a grip and the tape leaves the pistol grip downwardly, a belt, means so pivoting the gun on the belt that the gun normally turns muzzle down, and a stop on the belt in the path of a part of the gun to limit the turning of the gun to about 90 with muzzle then pointing forward, whereby a pull on the tape turns the gun to forward position and fires it.

15. In combination, a toy gun, a holster belt, a holster carried by said belt for receiving said gun, said gun having a gun body housing a noise making means comprising rotatable shafts and gearing, and a hammer reciprocated by said gearing, a tape drum forming a part of said gearing, a tape having an inner end secured thereto and wound thereabout, and the outer end of said tape being disposed outside the gun body, whereby pulling the tape turns the drum and actuates the hammer, and means securing the outer end of the tape to said belt, whereby the gun when drawn from the holster is automatically fired.

. 16. v In combination, a toy gun having a gun body housing a noise making means comprising rotatable shafts and gearing} a hammer reciprocated by said gearing, a tape drum forming a part of said gearing, and a tape secured thereto and wound thereabout, the free end of said tape being disposed outside the gun body, whereby pulling the tape turns the drum and actuates said hammer, said gun body simulating a pistol having a hand grip, means guiding the tape so that it leaves the pistol grip downwardly when the gun points forward, a belt, means so pivoting the gun on the belt that the gun normally turns muzzle down, and a stop on the belt in the path of a part of the gun to limit the turning of the gun to about 90 with muzzle then pointing forward, whereby a pull on the tape turns the gun to forward position and fires it.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,305,232 Niehage May 27, 1919 

